Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-08-02

SHALL WE INCORPORATE.
something for Mossbacks and Obstrctio n
lists to study.

lists to study.
Yesterday at the special meeting of
the county commissioners, the first
step toward incorporation under the
new law was taken by the presenta-
ton ofs petition signed by the requi-
site number of qualified electors, pray.
ing that an election be ordered OIL
the question Of incorporation. The
fret duty devolving upon the board of
commissioners Is to ascertain II the
area proposed to be incorporated con.
tsins the requisite population and to
this end, the board appointed Jno. J.
Coleman to take census. and his re-
port will be made at special meeting
to be held on Monday next, when IL
1t appears that the number Of inhabi-
tants required by law are within the
boundaries Of the proposed city, an
election will be ordered TO be held
within thirty days, when the question
for or against incorporation will be
submitted to the qualified electors,
who are in this instance required to be
freeholders. As it Is presumed that
the Necessary amount Of population
will be found TO be resident here 1t
follows that within week the ques-
ton of incorporation will be live is
sue before this community and as such
We propose to discuss 1t.
Whatever argument may have been
urged against II in times past, We be-
lieve that there but few of our citizens
who now are opposed to it. In our
present anomalous condition we have
everything to gain and nothing to lose
by donning the robes Of municipality
while continuation of the state Of
nothingness must certainly tend, as 1t
has tended for the past two years to
dryrot and decay. We do not believe
there is business man in town who
will controvert the assertion that had
We succeeded in becoming incorporat-
ed in the spring of 1855, we would not
now be in far more prosperous con-
dition than we are. We have the
statements of our real estate dealers,
that in the past two years maEy thous-
ands Of dollars of eastern capital would
have found investment in this town
had We been incorporated, but men
who are used to fire protection and
municipal control, were afraid TO rick
their money where there was neither,
and naturally made their investments
in more favored towns where they
had both. We had q lively ,o-ahead
town, energetic business men aud a
bright future. but the eastern capital.
ist could not be made to understand
that We were on q safe basis without
any government or control Of our pub
lie affairs; improved property rented
50 well AS to offer temporary bait.
but.excessive rates Of insurance was a
hook too early discerned and the fish
were shy. Without incorporation
We can never get fire protection,
and without fire protection We are
ground to death under ruinou-
insurance rates and even these ex-
tended TO Us grudgingly by the COM
panies, who threaten after every fire TO
withdraw entirely. And who could
blame them if they did? What bust.
ness policy is there for company to
insure building in this city at ten or
twenty or even fifty per cent prem.
ium when it is dead sure 10 be total
loss whenever, be IL sooner or later,
that il catches fire. To insure at ten
per cent, which Is the prevailing rate
on frame ranges, 10 simply betting
that no loss will occur in ten years. II
the calamity is averted that long, the
insurance companies simply play
even. II II cores before, rs Is almost
certain, they are proportionately los
ers, and no man should grumble II
every frame risk was cancelled to-day.
But we can't all live and do business
Ia brick blocks. The majority Of us
must perforce occupy frames, and the
only way we can protect ourselves and
save the enormous drain for insurance
Is to incorporate, for then we can al
most Immediately secure an adequate
water system. We are not to be un'
derstood as urging incorporation In
the interest of any water scheme or
ditch company. We do not care a
rush who or what company or indi.
yidual gives US the water, so that we
get IL, and right here 1t may lie said,
that once IL becomes known that Miles
City is incorporated and desirous OF
arranging for q water supply, there
will be no lack OF bidders for the priv.
ilege OF a franchise which will not cost
the city cent, and the taxpayers only
what they see fit to buy and pay for,
There are plenty Of firms in the coun,
try who make IL business Of supply
ing towns with water systems at their
own expense, claiming only q fran
chlse for say ten years at fixed rates to
consumers, and allowing the city the
option Of purchase at any time. There